VANCOUVER REGIONAL FREENET ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MINUTES OF MEETINGS
APRIL 12, 1994
Vancouver Public Library
Present: Phil Lyons, Eric Yung, Brian Campbell, Jacqueline Van Dyk,
Steven Chan, Guy Thomas, Boodie Arnott, Susan Pendakur
Ann Doyle, Sharon Zaluski
Absent: Tom Hansen, Mike Hrybyk, Fritz Radandt, Margaret Coates
Mike dropped by to pick up 2 Cardinal modems to test on the Freenet
system but left before the meeting due to illness. Phil Lyons left early.
Meeting was called to order at 7:20pm
1.0 Agenda
* Additions of BC Freenet to Other Business, and registration report/
operations recommendation from Steven under Membership.
Motion: (Phil/Eric) To accept the agenda with the above noted changes.
PASSED.
2.0 Minutes of March 29
* Guy noted that there was one change under Community Content:
Change:
"Human Resource Development and EDnet want to come to Freenet."
to:
"Human Resource Development wants to do the same thing they're doing
on edNET on Freenet, there are two apps they want to move over, how
do we do this?"
Motion: (Guy/Ann) To accept the minutes of March 29th. PASSED.
3.0 Communications
* Brian: concerned about Freenet communications (or lack thereof).
* Eric: new Board mailing list (board@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca) and
asked all Board members tell him what addresses to use for the mailing
list.
* Susan asked if her spool files can be moved over from poplar.
* forward requests for voice communications to Audrey at Freenet voicemail.
4.0 Six Week Timeline
* modems from Cardinal have arrived at VPL and Mike has taken 2 for testing.
Roundtable: a timeline was drafted from the Board members' input on what
needs to be done for public launch. The timeline is a separate
document, and only tentative time periods and issues are
included in the here.
* Susan: - working on new members/new accounts
- working on procedures for processing new members/accounts
- in future, gather volunteers and train.
* Guy noted that 30-40 accounts for IPs will be needed.
- tentatively, entered 34 accounts in an hour.
- suggest 8 hours work for input of members
- suggest 2 weeks for membership, draft of procedures after
that, and May 1st for training to begin, with Sharon's help.
* Steven: - 3 items to be addressed:
- finalize upload procedure (within 2 weeks)
- online registration working & debugged (within 2 wks.)
- menu interface & initial configuration (1 week)
* Guy: - procedures to get new IPs online (by April 25th)
- training liaisons to train IPs
* discussion about use of liaisons in short-term
* require a features list
* suggest that we actively pursue those organizations with
liaisons now and get data online as higher priority than training
new liaisons.
- working with current liaisons for features and menus and data
of IPs.
- how to handle "individal" IPs
- how to handle endorsements of potential IPs
* the last two points above to be dealt with later this meeting.
* Ann: - need accounts for writers and trainers
- authorities for accounts(permissions) to be cleared up
- online registration and office staff to process
- recruit trainers
- training facilities to be in place
- training volunteers, then trainers then libraries.
* suggest that draft of discussion paper within 2 weeks
* June 1st (public launch) requires public help sheets
* Mid-May for training trainers and libraries.
* user guide for next week's agenda
* Sharon: - need office - staff by May 1st
- orientation for volunteers - end of Apr./beginning of May
- volunteer coordinator account (separate account)
- treat volunteer coordinator as IP and get forms etc. onto
FreeNet
* Boodie: internet access to her account(s) to demonstrate FreeNet
* Phil: - go over list of endorsers and convince more to donate
(2 weeks on the outside)
* Eric: - mostly ongoing work
- IP upload mechanism, paperwork, electronic phone book
- helping with upload of information
* Steven mentioned that the automated IP upload stuff is not
critical path work.
* Jacqueline: - fielding questions from librarians about when FreeNet
will be up.
* Brian: implementation of hardware at libraries? -
Jacqueline: online for staff May 15th, working for
public launch. Help and training for librarians by
May 15th.
* Brian: - money/fundraising
- staff/office
- policy and government info.
* PR: Sharon: a process for distribution of T-shirts/buttons?
* phone lines and modems have to be installed.
* Eric designated as IP for Vancouver FreeNet, and to act as
liaison to get our own information online.
* June AGM will need to be planned.
5.0 Policy Issues:
5.1 Telnet IPS: Eric
* discussion around whether to inform users about changes in context
between FreeNet local stuff, and telnet, gopher, WWW applications.
* Guy: design issue - do we inform users?
* Ann: we should do so, as an educational factor to the public
* include terms in the menu and include in glossary under "About
FreeNet"
Motion: (Guy/Susan) That the system design committee implement a way
to warn users of context switches. DEFEATED by vote.
Motion: (Ann/Guy) That the system design committee implement codes
to wan users of telnet/WWW/gopher switches and have drop
screens of warnings. DEFEATED by vote.
Motion: (Jacqueline/Steven) That we mplement codes on the right-hand
side of the menu (under description) to warn users of
context switches. PASSED.
5.2 Gating to local BBSs: Eric
* introduced proposal by Geno Dellamattia to gate newsgroups and email
from FreeNet and distribute to local BBS.
* after some discussion, concluded that resources were to scarce to
pursue this now, and a taskforce would be formed after launch to
investigate this.
5.3 Individual IPs: Guy
* some offers have come in from individuals wanting to moderate newsgroups.
This raises the question of individuals (not organizations) that want
to become IPs to the Freenet.
* at the moment, IPs are not required to sign anything - this is probably
an oversight.
Motion: (Guy/Steven) That individual IPs sign the user agreement and be
treated as IPs (and thus may be required to sign an IP agreement).
PASSED.
5.4 Veting potential IPs: Guy
* how do we decide if an organization is to become an IP?
* resolution was that Guy would post a note to the Board about potential
IPs and any problems can be brought up at a Board meeting.
5.5 IP Upload procedure: Steven
* accept the distributed Operation Centre paper for information
6.0 Membership: Susan
* we have 11 new members for a total of 259.
* entered 34 accounts into the test registration procedure for members.
* Board members should sign and return the user agreement.
Operations Document: Steven
* Brian: we will require a good secure audit path for money at the office.
* two sites were discussed: SFU Harbour Centre and Britannia Community
Centre. SFU offers telnet access to FreeNet, while Britannia is a better
community location. Access issues were discussed.
* Brian: could everyone please start passing the word out that we're
looking for donations of office equipment.
Motion: (Steven/Guy) That we accept the Operations Document in principle.
PASSED.
6.0 Committee reports:
6.1 Hardware/Software:
* Mike took two of the Cardinal modems for testing and left early.
* concerns about the price of phone lines - some discussion about the
possibility of setting up a modem pool at SFU Harbour centre for use
by all universities.
6.2 System Design: Steven
* nothing new to report - Operations document covered issues.
6.3 Fundraising: Brian
* Law foundation went in yesterday - "had merit".
* BC 21 application is in, but no word on that yet.
* Friday morning, we're meeting with VanCity
* BC Tel application is in, but Victoria FreeNet, IBM and BC Tel are
working jointly on a proposal for the Commonwealth games.
* meeting tomorrow with Human Resource Development for a possible 3-person
proposal for OutReach funding - Brian invited Guy along
* Advisory committee - Brian Williamson, Nancy Bain (Real Estate Board),
Libby Davies (possible), Councillor Kennedy, Chuck Davis, David Mattrick,
David Levy (possible).
* Margaret and Wallace to pick on 6 more corporations.
6.4 Public Relations:
* Fritz absent
* questions about process for T-shirts and buttons
* office problems
* electronic versions of documents should be made available
6.5 Community Content: Guy
* BC Systems operates a gopher server for FOI - but FOI couldn't afford
a WAIS searchable system - can we offer something better?
* general consensus was that we could, but Brian cautioned against going
against BC Systems' resources.
7.0 Endorsement: Phil
* Phil left early
8.0 Volunteers: Sharon
* a paper was circulated from a meeting of the Volunteer Coordinating
Committtee on April 8th at 5pm at the Neil Squire Foundation.
* paper outlined some concepts as to developing a process for placing
and training volunteers.
9.0 User Training/Support: Ann
* UBC library has offered 4 network terminals for training
* technical writers are working on the documentation for FreeNet.
10.0 Library Liaison: Jacqueline:
* VPL has offered 3 terminals at the main branch and one at each other
branch for June 1st opening.
* 4 other libraries are interested in public access terminals.
* Guy: what about Carnegie?
11.0 Social Services: Boodie
* demo setup for libraries and North Shore community centres (run by
Jacqueline).
* speaker (needed) at the BCAIRS AGM on May 5th.
12.0 Party: Sharon
* Please remind everyone that the party is RSVP to Sharon
12.0 Other business:
* BC Freenet - telephone conference last week - proposals in future
should go to 4 people (members of BC Freenet board) and then checked out
by email before BC Freenet proceeds with them.
Meeting was adjourned at 10:20pm.